Low Emission Slurry Spreading (LESS) Equipment Scheme

The Low Emission Slurry Spreading (LESS) Equipment Scheme provides financial aid to farmers to help them buy new slurry-spreading equipment which improves environmental performance.

You can apply if you have declared a minimum of 5 hectares of “eligible land” in the Basic Payment Scheme in the year of application or the preceding year. The scheme is also open to farmers who breed, rear or fatten pigs and have a minimum of 60 production units at the time of application.

In the case of a co-operative, all the members of the co-operative have to each independently meet the scheme’s criteria.

Specific types of equipment are eligible for the scheme including:

• mobile slurry tank with trailing shoe
• dribble bar or band spreader
• mobile slurry tank with shallow injection system
• slurry umbilical system

You must meet the scheme’s requirements on training and tax clearance. The funding for the scheme is limited and all applications are subject to selection criteria, such as age and costings. See the conditions of the scheme and selection criteria marking sheet at the bottom of this page.

GLAS applicants who have applied for a Nitrates Derogation for 2020 should read the following information:

LESS Declaration Forms 2020 Nitrates Derogation Applicants

Grant-aid is paid at a rate of 40%. The maximum amount of investment eligible for grant-aid is €40,000 per holding. However, in the case of a joint application by two or more eligible partners under a registered partnership, the maximum increases to €60,000. The investment ceiling under this scheme is NOT subject to the overall TAMS II investment ceiling of €80,000 per holding.

Multiple applications per tranche are allowed however the minimum amount of investment eligible for approval under this scheme is €5,000 per application.

Applications must be submitted online through agfood.ie. If your login or password are expired and need to be renewed please contact the Department’s helpdesk at 053 9163425 .

The Department has prepared this document as an aid to ensure that farmers and advisors are aware of the requirements and conditions attaching to payments concerned and to assist in completing applications for the Low Emission Slurry Spreading (LESS) Scheme.

Download the assessment criteria marking sheet: